


Rule 12

by WannaBeBold



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:01:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23720506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WannaBeBold/pseuds/WannaBeBold
Summary: Breaking Rule 12 was the best decision they’d ever made.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres, Ziva David/Anthony DiNozzo
Comments: 8
Kudos: 63





	Rule 12

**Author's Note:**

> Anon prompt: Tiva & Ellick – author pick. Prompt 12 “H-how long have you been standing there?” “Long enough.”

**_November 2020_ **

“Oh I see you have moved desks now yes?” He jumped at the voice that snuck up behind him and rushed to get away from Ellie’s desk. Ziva came around the side of the partition, a laugh escaping her as she watched his mild panic.

“No, no I was just uh.”

“Oh calm down Nicholas I was teasing.” His shoulders relaxed and he stepped forward, enveloping Ziva in a friendly hug. “It is nice to see you.”

“Nice to see you too.” He rolled Bishop’s chair over, motioning for her to take it. “Here sit, I’m sure you wanna get off your feet.” Ziva smiled, taking off her jacket to throw over the partition and sitting down in the familiar chair. She ran her right hand over the desk that was hers for seven years, letting the memories flow over her while her left hand came to rest over her prominent bump as her rings glistened in the sun coming in from the skylights. “So, where’s your other half?” Nick asked, leaning against the desk next to her.

“At the coffee cart outside. We ran into Eleanor and they wanted to catch up so I thought I would come see you.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. So what’s up? How’s married life going?” Tony and Ziva had gotten married shortly after their reunion in a small ceremony in Paris, surrounded by Senior and their NCIS family. Just a month later they found out they were pregnant and decided to move back to the U.S. so their daughters could grow up around their family.

“Why are you looking for tips?” She laughed lightly as the words Nora spoke to her and Tony years ago came back to her and she couldn’t resist using them on Nick. His eyes shifted as if seeing if the coast was clear before talking and she sat up straighter, sensing the serious nature of his next words.

“Actually um, maybe. Yeah.” Ziva’s eyes went wide, not expecting the man she called a wuss a year ago to actually do something about his feelings for his fellow agent. “Look, can we take this somewhere else? I don’t want Ellie to hear.”

“O-of course. Yes. Lead the way.” Nick helped her out of the chair and led her to the back office of Kasie’s lab. It was a slow day today so the forensic scientist was at home on call. Once sitting in the theater chair she spoke up. “So, spill the peas.”

* * *

While Ziva went off to see Nick, Tony stayed outside with Ellie to catch up with her. They took their coffees and started walking away from the cart when Ellie spoke.

“Congratulations on baby number two Tony. Ziva said you’re having another girl?” Excited to get to talk about it, Tony whipped out his phone and pulled up the pictures of their latest ultrasound.

“Yep. I’m so excited. I didn’t get to be there for Ziva when she was pregnant with Tali so I feel like the universe is trying to make it up to me.” They sat down on a bench along the walk and he handed his phone over to Ellie. She looked at the grainy black and white image and smiled, running a finger along the baby that was clearly there. Lost in thought, she was pulled back when she heard Tony talking. “I never thought I wanted kids you know. I mean, yeah the idea was always in the back of my mind but I didn’t want to have them with just anyone. And then here comes this toddler just dropped in my lap and, I tell you she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me besides Ziva. And now I get to do it all over again and I couldn’t be happier.” His eyes were a little misty as he talked and she couldn’t help but wipe at her own, surprised to find she had been crying a little too.

Still staring at the ultrasound in her hand, she looked up at Tony and saw the pure joy on his face as he continued to talk about Tali and his new daughter. Suddenly she heard her name and refocused on the conversation.

“What about you Ellie? Ever think of having kids?”

She thought for a moment, wondering how much to tell him before it all came spilling out. “Well, actually…”

* * *

“Well uh, it started at your wedding actually.” Nick thought back to that March.

_They were in Paris for Tony and Ziva’s wedding, something that was, against all odds, finally happening. After the ceremony, McGee and Palmer couldn’t stop talking about how they were worried this day would never come and kept gushing about how their friends were finally getting married. Gibbs was acting like the proud father, sharing stories with Jack about Tony and Ziva over the years while Ducky and Abby did the same with Kasie. Neither knowing the two together, Nick and Ellie stuck together throughout the wedding. They danced together during the reception and, the romantic atmosphere must have affected them more than they realized because that night found them in each other’s arms._

“Nicholas, that was eight months ago! You have been together that long and did not tell me?!” Feeling like he was being scolded he looked away, rubbing a hand over his face. “Does everyone else know?”

“Oh yeah, they know.” He could still remember the looks on everyone’s faces when they told them they were dating. They had both been worried about Gibbs reaction until he smiled, muttering an “it’s about time,” and handing them a little a tiny jar filled with the ashes of Rule 12.

“So that is what that was all about.” He gave Ziva an odd look before she continued. “Gibbs showed up at our doorstep in August and handed us a little bottle with ashes in it. He just said I’m sorry I didn’t do this sooner and walked away. I cannot believe he burned a rule, and twice apparently.” Ziva was lot in the memory for a moment before remembering why they were down here in the first place. “Now, what is it you were going to tell me?”

Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath before blurting out the words. “I’m gonna propose.”

* * *

Tony looked at her as she went quiet, waiting patiently for her to continue. When it seemed she was going to remain silent he gave her shoulder a nudge. In shock, her head spun around to face him.

“Are you okay Ellie? You seem a little spaced out.” It hit her then that she was still holding his phone and quickly handed it back to him.

“Yeah, yeah, no I’m, I’m fine. Totally fine.” She ran her hands over her hair, trying to calm herself down before going back into the building. She should’ve expected this conversation when she found out they were coming for a visit today but it never occurred to her that it could turn around to her. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly before responding, needing to get the truth out. “I’m pregnant Tony.”

* * *

“You’re going to propose? That is wonderful! Congratulations!” No longer able to lean over easily, Ziva reached over to pat his hand. “Do you already have the ring?” Enthusiastically he nodded, getting up and going to a locked drawer in the bottom of Kasie’s desk. Bringing it over to Ziva, he opened it up so she could see. It was a simple rose-gold band with antique details and single stone in the middle. Ziva gasped, turning around the box to see the way the light hit it. “Oh Nicholas, it is gorgeous!” She handed the box back to him and he placed it on the table. “Do you know when?”

He nodded, a smile crossing his face as he laid out his plan to take her to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving and propose to her surrounded by her family. Neither noticed Ellie standing in the doorway with a hand over her mouth and Tony standing behind her in shock.

* * *

“You’re pregnant? Ellie that’s great.” He leaned over to give her a hug. “May I ask who the father is?” She now had tears rolling down her cheeks, relieved to have finally told someone.

“It’s Nick.” To her surprise he didn’t look shocked.

“So, are you two together?”

“Yeah, since uh, since your wedding actually.”

_Ellie woke up the morning after her friend and former colleague’s wedding surrounded by strong arms. She panicked at first until she remembered the night before: dancing at Tony and Ziva’s reception which led to a kiss as they were leaving which turned into them falling into bed together in his hotel room. They didn’t talk until after they got back to D.C. and each decided they didn’t want this thing between them to be settled with just one night of passion. For the first month they would find themselves going over to the other’s place after wrapping up a case which always led to a night of passion. After a particularly rough case that affected them both, they found themselves talking for once, each admitting that this wasn’t just a friends-with-benefits thing for them and deciding to give a relationship a try. They decided to tell the team in August, four months into their relationship enough to prove that they could be together and still work together effectively. Things were going smoothly until she missed her period last week and immediately took a pregnancy test which turned up positive._

“That was eight months ago! And how far along are you?”

“According to my doctor six weeks.”

“Does he know yet?” Ellie shook her head.

“I haven’t been able to find the right time to tell him. I mean, I don’t even know if he wants a family, let alone this soon. We haven’t even talked about kids yet Tony!” He cut off her rambling with a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him, eyes wide.

“Trust me, as soon as he finds out he’s gonna be ecstatic.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.” Tony stood up then, holding out a hand to pull her up. “Now come on, let’s get back. I promised Ziva a muffin.” Ellie laughed at that, walking next to him as they headed back into NCIS. When no one was in the squad room, they went searching for them, eventually finding them in Kasie’s lab.

Ziva and Nick were deep in conversation and didn’t hear them walk up to the door. He suddenly wished he would’ve announced their presence when he heard the words “Ellie” and “proposal” come from Nick’s mouth. All eyes suddenly went to Ellie as a gasp left her lips and hand come to cover her mouth.

“Ellie!” Nick yelled, jumping and running over to where she was standing. “H-how long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.” She whispered out through tears. Tony took this moment to step into the room with Ziva and helping her up. Both wanted to see how it played out with the younger agents but they gave them privacy as they slipped out the back door.

“So uh, I take it you heard me then?” All she could do was nod. He ran a hand over his face as he stepped back and took a deep breath. He grabbed the ring off the table and walked over to her. “This isn’t how I planned to do it, although I guess you already know that. Ellie Bishop will you-“ She stopped him mid-sentence, holding out a hand to keep him from getting down on one knee.

“Nick there’s something I have to tell you. And I don’t know if it’ll make you change your mind about us but I need to get it out before you do this.” Nick stood there, silently panicking as he waited for her news. “I’m pregnant Nick.”

“Pr-pregnant.” Her nod was all the confirmation he needed and suddenly his legs couldn’t hold him up anymore. He fell into the chair that Ziva had previously occupied and became silent. Ellie watched as a tear rolled down his cheek and became nervous. Despite Tony’s assurances she had no idea what his eventual response was going to be but she knew it would make or break her.

After what seemed like hours, Nick finally looked up at her in awe, grabbing her hand and pulling her down to sit on his lap. “Ellie. We’re gonna have a baby?” She was now full-on crying as she nodded in response. He cupped her cheek in his hand and pulled her lips to his in a gentle kiss. “Can I ask you now?”

“Yes. Please ask.” Nick again reached for the ring, pulling it out of the box and holding it in front of her.

“Eleanor Bishop, I love you so much. Will you marry me?”

“I love you too Nick. Yes! Of course I’ll marry you.”

Sitting in the middle of Kasie’s office, the soon-to-be parents sealed their engagement with a kiss.

* * *

Sitting at home that night after Tali went to bed, Tony was playing with Ziva’s hair as their hands were clasped together, resting on her bump.

“Looks like we weren’t needed after all.” Ziva looked up at her husband, curiosity written across her face. “Ellie and Nick.”

“Ah yes. I am glad those two were able to figure things out for themselves. Although I do feel like we had a little something to do with it considering they got together at our wedding.”

“Ya got me there Zi.” He placed a kiss to the top of her head. “So, what’re you gonna do now that your matchmaking job is over with?”

“Oh I think we will have plenty on our plates when this little one arrives.” A yawn escaped and Tony stood up, pulling her up with him.

“Come on my Ninja, let’s go to bed.”

“Hey Tony?” He stopped in his tracks, turning to look at her. Her hands came up to caress his face while his went to her hips. “I am very glad we were able to figure things out too.” Ziva leaned up, kissing him as best as she could with her seven month belly between them.

“Me too Zi, me too.”

As they were getting ready for bed, both of their phones dinged with an incoming message, Tony’s from Ellie and Ziva’s from Nick, but the text was the same: a picture of them sitting on their couch smiling, Ellie holding up her hand to show her ring and Nick’s hand on her stomach with the message “We’re getting married AND having a baby!” underneath.

They smiled, each sending congrats messages before placing their phones on their nightstands. Curling up behind his wife, Tony placed an arm across her belly and clasped hands with her.

“Laila tov Tony, Ani ohevet otcha.”

“Goodnight Ziva, I love you too. And I love you too little one.”

Both NCIS couples fell asleep that night happy. They were married or soon-to-be married and each expecting a child. Turns out, breaking Rule 12 was the best decision they’d ever made. 

**Author's Note:**

> This was completely unedited so I hope it turned out okay!


End file.
